Electronic vaporizer

ABSTRACT

An electronic vaporizer has a battery, and controls. The first and second heaters are activated by the controls. A middle chamber is heated by the first heater. Airflow is configured to pass through the middle chamber. The second heater heats an upper chamber. The airflow is configured to pass through the upper chamber from the middle chamber. The mouthpiece tube is connected to the upper chamber. The airflow passes through the mouthpiece tube. A processor is configured with a timing program which distributes battery power alternatively between the first heater the second heater according to a clock having a clock frequency. A control system has a voltage feedback loop inside a temperature feedback loop for controlling both the voltage and the temperature of the heating coil. The control system further includes a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of electronic vaporizers.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

A variety of different electronic vaporizers have been described in the prior art for smoking articles. For example, in the international publication number WO2016126698A1 published on Nov. 8, 2016, titled Personal Electronic Vaporizer by inventor Curtis R. BERRY, the abstract discloses, “The disclosure relates to a personal electronic vaporizer (1) configured to receive a selected oven assembly (13) and heat the medium therein in accordance with a heating profile associate with the selected oven assembly. The personal electronic vaporizer may define a pathway (129) entirely surrounded by a material (131). The material is preferably an inert material such as glass or a material otherwise desirable to channel the vapors emitted by the heated medium to the user. The user may swap or select a different oven assembly associated with a different heating profile. The first oven assembly is thereafter removed from the personal electronic vaporizer and replaced with the newly selected oven assembly. The personal electronic vaporizer may automatically recognize the particular selected oven assembly and heat the substance therein according to a predefined heating profile associate with the oven assembly.”

For example, in the United States publication number US20210282232A1 published on Sep. 9, 2021 titled Electronic Smoking Article Comprising One or More Microheaters by inventor William Robert Collett et al., the abstract discloses, “The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article comprises one or more microheaters. In various embodiments, the microheaters provide for improved control of vaporization of an aerosol precursor composition and provide for reduced power requirements to achieve consistent aerosolization. The present disclosure further relates to methods of forming an aerosol in a smoking article.”

For example, in the international patent number CN112535323A published on Mar. 23, 2021 titled Double-heating-wire Electronic Cigarette Controller and Double-heating-wire-Control Method by inventor Chen Yi, the abstract discloses, “The invention relates to a double-heating-wire electronic cigarette controller and a double-heating-wire control method. The double heating wire control method comprises the following steps of S1: when the electronic cigarette controller is powered on, one of the first heating wire and the second heating wire is randomly selected as a main heating wire, and the other one is selected as an auxiliary heating wire; s2: and detecting the number of the smoking ports, and switching the auxiliary heating wire to be the main heating wire when the number of the smoking ports reaches a first preset value n. The invention has the advantages that: the two heating wire terminals are arranged, and the main heating wire and the auxiliary heating wire are switched according to the number of the smoking openings, so that the service life of the heating wires can be prolonged, and the service life of the electronic cigarette can be prolonged; the first preset value and the working state of the auxiliary heating wire are adjusted according to the real-time smoking frequency of a user, so that the working time of a single heating wire can be prevented from being too short or too long.”

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electronic vaporizer has a battery, and a set of controls. The first heater is activated by the set of controls. A middle chamber is heated by the first heater. An airflow is configured to pass through the middle chamber. A second heater is activated by the set of controls. The second heater heats an upper chamber. The airflow is configured to pass through the upper chamber from the middle chamber. The mouthpiece tube is connected to the upper chamber. The airflow passes through the mouthpiece tube. A processor is configured with a timing program which distributes battery power alternatively between the first heater the second heater according to a clock having a clock frequency. A control system has a voltage feedback loop inside a temperature feedback loop for controlling both the voltage and the temperature of the heating coil. The clock cycle for the voltage feedback loop is higher than the clock cycle for the temperature feedback loop. The control system further includes a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor. The temperature sensor can be a thermocouple mounted in the second heater.

The mouthpiece tube is preferably made of glass having spiral indentations to promote a vortex flow. The mouthpiece tube seals to a mouthpiece gasket which in turn is mounted to a mouthpiece assembly. The mouthpiece assembly has a magnetic connection to an upper housing. The upper housing is connected to a lower housing. The battery is mounted between the upper housing and lower housing.

A lower chamber has an air intake formed on a lower housing which has a lower frame.

The lower chamber can be mounted on the lower frame. The middle chamber and the upper chamber are mounted to the middle frame. A silicone heater cover is sandwiched between the lower housing and the lower frame.

The electronic vaporizer has a timing program that has a clock cycle greater than 100 Hz. The clock cycle has a high half and a low half. Either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the high half, and either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the low half. In a 50 percent program, if the first heater is activated in the high half, the first heater is not activated again in the low half. The first heater is a convection heater that heats air passing through it, and the second heater is a conduction heater that heats the article directly.

The convection heater has a convection heater coil. The airflow passes around and through the convection heater coil. The conduction heater is a ceramic heater having a ceramic body. The timing program alternates between heating the upper chamber and heating the lower chamber at a clock cycle greater than 10 Hz when the timing program is set for half convection heating and half conduction heating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective right side view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective left side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a left view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a right view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top side view of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 9 a cross-section diagram.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view diagram.

FIG. 11 is a timing diagram.

FIG. 12 is a control system diagram.

The following call out list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the elements of the drawings.

-   20 Battery -   21 Upper Connection Pad -   22 Lower Connection Pad -   30 Upper Housing -   31 Upper Housing Magnet -   32 Mouthpiece Assembly Magnet -   40 Mouthpiece Assembly -   41 Mouthpiece Tube -   42 Mouthpiece Gasket -   43 Vapor Exit -   44 Mouthpiece Assembly Grip -   45 Mouthpiece Gasket Groove -   50 Ceramic Conduction Heater -   51 Insulation Tubing -   52 Temperature Sensor -   53 Upper Heater Cover -   54 Coil Holder -   55 Convection Heating Coil -   56 Coil Heating Cover -   57 Silicone Heating Cover -   58 Air Intake -   59 Heater Cover Openings -   60 Housing -   61 Ceramic Coil Top Spacer -   62 Screen Coil Cover -   63 Lower Frame -   64 Ceramic Coil Bottom Spacer -   65 Upper Chamber -   66 Middle Chamber -   67 Lower Chamber -   70 Printed Circuit Board Assembly -   71 Liquid Crystal Display Screen -   72 Central Processing Unit -   73 Fire Button -   74 Up And Down Buttons -   75 Up Button Switch -   76 Down Button Switch -   77 Universal Serial Bus Socket -   78 Fire Button Switch -   90 Coil Timing System -   91 Convection Coil First Half Of First Clock Cycle -   92 Conduction Coil First Half Of First Clock Cycle -   93 Clock First Half Of First Clock Cycle -   94 Convection Coil Second Half Of First Clock Cycle -   95 Conduction Coil Second Half Of First Clock Cycle -   96 Conduction Coil Second Half Of First Clock Cycle -   97 Convection Coil First Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   98 Conduction Coil First Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   99 Clock First Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   100 Clock -   101 Convection Coil Second Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   102 Conduction Coil Second Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   103 Clock Second Half Of Second Clock Cycle -   104 Convection Coil First Half Of Third Clock Cycle -   105 Conduction Coil First Half Of Third Clock Cycle -   106 Clock First Half Of Third Clock Cycle -   107 Convection Coil Second Half Of Third Clock Cycle -   108 Conduction Coil First Second Of Third Clock Cycle -   109 Clock Second Half Of Third Clock Cycle -   120 Convection Coil Cycle -   121 Conduction Coil Cycle -   110 Control System -   111 Reference Temperature -   112 Voltage Feedback Loop -   113 Temperature Feedback Loop -   114 Voltage Sensor Measurement -   115 Temperature Sensor Measurement -   116 Voltage Comparator -   117 Temperature Comparator -   118 Voltage Proportional Integral Derivative Controller -   119 Temperature Proportional Integral Derivative Controller

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As seen in FIGS. 9-10 , the present invention is an electronic vaporizer. The electronic vaporizer has a battery 20 that powers a pair of heaters, such as a first heater and a second heater. The second heater can be a ceramic conduction heater 50 that heats an upper chamber 65, and the first heater can be a convection heating coil 55 that heats a middle chamber 66. The processor, controller or central processing unit 72 can be configured with firmware or software so that it switches between the first heater and the second heater. The second heater is a conduction heater and the first heater is a convection heater. Air passes first through the second heater for preheating and then passes into the upper chamber 65 where the conduction heater heats the plant material.

The battery 20 is housed within an upper housing 30 and a lower housing 60. The upper housing has an upper housing magnet 31 that clicks to a mouthpiece assembly magnet 32 mounted on a mouthpiece assembly 40. The magnetic attraction between the upper housing magnet 31 and the mouthpiece assembly magnet 32 provides a click audio indicator. The upper housing magnet 31 is mounted within a recess on the upper housing 30, and the mouthpiece assembly magnet 32 is mounted within a recess on the mouthpiece assembly 40. The magnet interface is formed at an angle relative to the mouthpiece tube 41 and the battery 20 and is generally tagging only oriented. The mouthpiece tube 41 can be formed as a glass mouthpiece that has spiral oriented indentations in it for providing a vortex flow. A concentrate can be put on a fibrous sponge pad which is inserted into the heating chamber which is the upper chamber 65. Alternatively, plant material can be put directly into the heating chamber.

The mouthpiece assembly 40 has a mouthpiece tube 41 inserted into the mouthpiece assembly 40 and a mouthpiece gasket 42 that forms an airtight seal. The mouthpiece gasket 42 retains to the mouthpiece assembly 40 at a mouthpiece gasket groove 45. The mouthpiece tube 41 has a vapor exit 43 that is collinear with an air intake 58 at an opposite end of the electronic vaporizer. The orientation of the magnet interface is parallel to the mouthpiece assembly grip 44 which is formed on the exterior surface of the mouthpiece assembly 40.

A printed circuit board assembly 70 may include a central processing unit 72 and a liquid crystal display screen 71. Up and down buttons 74 can be formed as an elastomeric cover that operates an up button switch 75 and a down button switch 76. The battery can be charged through the universal serial bus socket 77 which also allows data operation between the central processing unit and a memory stored on the printed circuit board assembly 70. The printed circuit board assembly 70 is mounted adjacent to the battery 20. A fire button 73 has a fire button switch 78 that is mounted to the printed circuit board assembly 70. The fire button 73 is parallel to the up and down buttons 74 with an LCD screen 71 mounted between the fire button 73 and the up and down buttons 74.

The ceramic conduction heater 50 is mounted in the lower housing 60 between an upper heater cover 53 and a coil holder cover 54. The coil holder cover 54 also holds the convection heating coil 55. The temperature sensor 52 can be formed as a thermocouple that is mounted on the ceramic conduction heater 50. The convection heating coil 55 is preferably set off from the coil holder 54 such as by a ceramic coil bottom spacer 64 that fits within a lower opening of the coil holder 54. At an upper opening of the coil holder 54, a ceramic coil top spacer 61 retains the convection coil. The convection coil can be activated when airflow is active. The coil holder cover 56 preferably has multiple lower openings such as heater cover openings 59 for allowing the flow of air to pass through the convection heating coil 55. The convection heating coil 55 allows airflow to pass through the middle of the coil as well as along its sides.

Airflow passes through the air intake 58 on the lower surface of the floor housing 60 into a lower chamber 67. The lower chamber 67 slows the air speed so that any particulates entrained within the airflow will drop out. The airflow then passes into the middle chamber 66. After airflow is heated by the convection coil in the middle chamber 66, the airflow passes along the convection heating coil 55 which is sealed within the coil holder 54 between the ceramic coil top spacer 61, and the ceramic coil bottom spacer 64. The middle chamber 66 is mounted to the lower frame 63 which extends from the lower housing 60. A screen coil cover 62 has perforations that prevent plant or herb material from falling out of the upper chamber 65 into the middle chamber 66. The urban material is in the upper chamber 65. The screen coil cover 62 is preferably stainless steel but can be aluminum. The upper chamber 65 has a ceramic conduction heater 50 which defines the upper chamber 65. The ceramic conduction heater 50 may have a lower grille which is ceramic and has openings allowing airflow to pass through from the convection heating coil 55. The ceramic conduction heater 50 has trace of electric coils in the sidewalls which heat by resistance heating. The ceramic material of the ceramic conduction heater 50 receives heat and conducts it to the plant material. As the plant material vaporizes, the airflow passes upward through the mouthpiece gasket 42, then through the mouthpiece tube 41 and finally out through the vapor exit 43. As the mouthpiece tube 41 is sealed to the mouthpiece gasket 42 in a socket of the mouthpiece gasket 42, the airflow does not leak out into the upper housing 30, or the mouthpiece assembly 40. Similarly, a silicone heater cover 57 at the air intake 58 prevents air from leaking into the lower housing. The airflow is linear and passes vertically parallel to the battery and the liquid crystal display.

Therefore, a key feature of the present invention is that the air is heated first by convection, then by conduction. The proportion of the convection and conduction is user controllable. When a user desires to have more convection heating, the user can control the convection using the buttons. Similarly, when a user desires to have more conduction heating, the user can control that as well. The user can also control the amount of heat and heat duration. Insulation tubing 51 encapsulates the sidewalls of the ceramic conduction heater 50 and the upper half of the convection heating coil 55. The insulation tubing 51 can be fiberglass, mineral wool or the like.

The battery 20 does not power both the trace in the ceramic conduction heater 50 and the convection heating coil 55 at the same time. The battery 20 is controlled by the printed circuit board assembly 70 which switches the power based on a clock cycle. The clock cycle can be 10 kilohertz for example.

As seen in FIG. 11 , a coil timing system 90, a clock 100 provides timing for a convection coil cycle 120 and a conduction coil cycle 121. The convection coil has an activation input on a cycle that is offset by 180 degrees to the conduction coil cycle. A complete clock cycle has a high clock segment and a low clock segment comprising a total of 360 degrees. The coil timing system 90 begins with a convection coil first half of first clock cycle 91 where the convection coil is activated. The conduction coil first half of first clock cycle 92 deactivates the conduction coil. The clock first half of first clock cycle 93 is high. Then, the convection coil second half of first clock cycle 94 has a deactivation of the convection coil. The conduction coil second half of first clock cycle 95 is high which means that the conduction coil is activated. The conduction coil second half of first clock cycle 96 is low. That concludes the first cycle.

In the second cycle, the timing repeats. The convection coil first half of second clock cycle 97 is high, and the conduction coil first half of second clock cycle 98 is low because the clock first half of second clock cycle 99 is high. This mirrors the sequence from 360 degrees ago in the first cycle. Then, the value of the convection coil second half of second clock cycle 101 is high, and the value of the conduction coil second half of second clock cycle 102 is low. The clock second half of second clock cycle 103 is low. Again, in the third cycle, the timing repeats again. The convection coil first half of third clock cycle 104 is high, then low in the convection coil second half of third clock cycle 107. This coordinates with the conduction coil value where the conduction coil first half of third clock cycle 105 is low and the conduction coil first second of third clock cycle 108 is high. The clock first half of third clock cycle 106 is high, and the clock second half of third clock cycle 109 is low. The coil timing system 90 can be implemented on the central processing unit 72. The clock can be set at two kilohertz for example.

As seen in FIG. 12 , the central processing unit 72 can also implement a voltage and temperature control system 110. A user input reference temperature 111 can be checked with a temperature comparator 117 which calculates an error that a temperature proportional integral derivative controller 119 uses to output a voltage reference to a voltage comparator 116 which then calculates an error which the voltage proportional integral derivative controller uses to generate a voltage output to a heating coil. The heating coil has a temperature sensor measurement 115 taken from the temperature sensor 52, and the output of the voltage proportional integral derivative controller 118 has a voltage sensor measurement 114 from a voltage sensor. This provides a voltage feedback loop 112 inside a temperature feedback loop 113 which controls the temperature of the heating coil. The heating coil voltage output value is sent to power the convection heating coil 55 and the ceramic heater 50 alternatively on a 2 kHz alternating clock cycle for example.

The example given is for a 50% convection and 50% conduction profile. The voltage cycle frequency is at a higher frequency than the temperature cycle frequency. The voltage cycle frequency can be set at 62.5 Hz and the temperature cycle frequency set at 10 Hz. The thermocouple temperature sensor is preferably attached to the ceramic cup of the ceramic heater 50. The ceramic heater 50 preferably has a cylindrical body with a cylindrical opening for receiving the head of the thermocouple with a pair of legs extending from the thermocouple and out of the ceramic cup of the ceramic heater 50. The thermocouple can be integrally formed with the ceramic sidewall of the ceramic heater 50. Alternatively, two separate control systems can be used for controlling the convection heating coil 55 and the ceramic heater 50 separately, but still using the same temperature reference input.

FIGS. 1-8 show the exterior of the electronic vaporizer. From the exterior, the user does not see that the device has both a conduction and convection heater, however the user can check the status of the conduction and convection heater on the display screen. The user can control each heater individually and can set a desired temperature and then a percentage for each heater. The display screen on default preferably shows 50% conduction and 50% convection. The percentage can vary from 0 to 100 degrees in 10 degrees increments for example. Both will add up to 100%. For example, the temperature can be set to 180° C. with the conduction heater at 20% and the convection heater at 80%. The display screen will have a temperature with a countdown timer, the conduction percentage, convection percentage, battery indicator, and a vibration on-off symbol. The power and fire button, increase temperature button and decrease temperature button are all grouped together around the display screen.

By using different combinations of the buttons, the user can turn on the device, turn off the device, set the temperature, turn on the heat, turn off the heat, extend the session timer by 30 seconds, reset, change the units of the temperature, activate a stealth mode, and turn on and off a vibration. The device settings preferably have a temperature between 115° C. and 221° C. with a timer of five minutes and time extensions of 30 seconds each up to an additional five minutes. The default starting temperature is preferably 176° C. which is 350° F., with a default conduction heater utilization percentage of 50% and a default convection heater utilization percentage of 50%. The utilization percentage ratios correspond to a set activation timing pattern with the simplest timing pattern being alternation on every clock cycle.

The default values can be stored based on the last settings before powering off the device. By changing the variation of heat distribution between conduction and convection, a user can change the quality of the vapor depending upon user tastes and depending upon the herbal material or other articles being vaporized. Conduction preferably has a faster heating and uses less power, but may not be as easily vaporized and as flavorful as convection heating.

By combining the electronically controlled two heaters, the user has the ability to customize their vaporization session as they please. If the user were to modify the heat so that the heat was 30% conduction and 70% convection, the clock cycle could have three half cycles of conduction heating for every seven cycles of convection heating. The 30 to 70 ratio pattern may be conduction, convection, convection, conduction, convection, convection, convection, conduction, convection, and convection in that order where each conduction heating signal pulse is followed by three or four pulses of convection heating signal pulses. 

1. An electronic vaporizer comprising: a. a battery; b. a set of controls; c. a first heater activated by the set of controls; d. a middle chamber heated by the first heater, wherein an airflow is configured to pass through the middle chamber; e. a second heater activated by the set of controls; f. an upper chamber heated by the second heater, wherein the airflow is configured to pass through the upper chamber from the middle chamber; g. a mouthpiece tube, wherein the mouthpiece tube is connected to the upper chamber, wherein the airflow passes through the mouthpiece tube; and h. a processor, wherein the processor is configured with a timing program which distributes battery power alternatively between the first heater the second heater according to a clock having a clock frequency; i. a control system, wherein the control system has a voltage loop inside a temperature loop for controlling both the voltage and the temperature of the heating coil, wherein the control system further includes a temperature sensor and a voltage sensor.
 2. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermocouple that is mounted in the second heater.
 3. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece tube is made of glass and has spiral indentations to promote a vortex flow.
 4. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece tube seals to a mouthpiece gasket, wherein the mouthpiece gasket is mounted to a mouthpiece assembly, wherein the mouthpiece assembly has a magnetic connection to an upper housing, wherein the upper housing is connected to a lower housing, wherein the battery is mounted between the upper housing and lower housing.
 5. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, further including a lower chamber, wherein the lower chamber has an air intake formed on a lower housing, and further comprising a lower frame, wherein the middle chamber and the upper chamber are mounted to the middle frame, and further comprising a silicone heater cover sandwiched between the lower housing and the lower frame.
 6. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the timing program has a clock cycle greater than 100 Hz, wherein the clock cycle has a high half and a low half, wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the high half, and wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the low half, wherein if the first heater is activated in the high half, the first heater is not activated again in the low half.
 7. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the first heater is a convection heater, and wherein the second heater is a conduction heater.
 8. The electronic vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the conduction heater is a ceramic heater has a ceramic body.
 9. The electronic vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the convection heater has a convection heater coil, wherein the airflow passes through the convection heater coil.
 10. The electronic vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermocouple that is mounted in the second heater.
 11. The electronic vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the mouthpiece tube is made of glass and has spiral indentations to promote a vortex flow.
 12. The electronic vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the mouthpiece tube seals to a mouthpiece gasket, wherein the mouthpiece gasket is mounted to a mouthpiece assembly, wherein the mouthpiece assembly has a magnetic connection to an upper housing, wherein the upper housing is connected to a lower housing, wherein the battery is mounted between the upper housing and lower housing.
 13. The electronic vaporizer of claim 9, further including a lower chamber, wherein the lower chamber has an air intake formed on a lower housing, and further comprising a lower frame, wherein the middle chamber and the upper chamber are mounted to the middle frame, and further comprising a silicone heater cover sandwiched between the lower housing and the lower frame.
 14. The electronic vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the timing program has a clock cycle greater than 100 Hz, wherein the clock cycle has a high half and a low half, wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the high half, and wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the low half, wherein if the first heater is activated in the high half, the first heater is not activated again in the low half.
 15. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermocouple that is mounted in the second heater, wherein the timing program has a clock cycle greater than 100 Hz, wherein the clock cycle has a high half and a low half, wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the high half, and wherein either the first heater or the second heater is activated in the low half, wherein if the first heater is activated in the high half, the first heater is not activated again in the low half.
 16. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece tube is made of glass and has spiral indentations to promote a vortex flow, wherein the mouthpiece tube seals to a mouthpiece gasket, wherein the mouthpiece gasket is mounted to a mouthpiece assembly, wherein the mouthpiece assembly has a magnetic connection to an upper housing, wherein the upper housing is connected to a lower housing, wherein the battery is mounted between the upper housing and lower housing.
 17. The electronic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the timing program alternates between heating the upper chamber and heating the lower chamber at a clock cycle greater than 10 Hz when the timing program is set for half convection heating and half conduction heating. 